Mariners manager Eric Wedge spoke to his players before Thursday's game about their struggles at home so far this season and what he expects them to do about it.

The Mariners entered the game hitting .199 at Safeco Field compared with .257 on the road. They also had an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .588 at home versus .725 away.

Wedge has said he's pleased with his team's continued solid approach at the plate. But he mentioned after a loss on Wednesday that they seem to be tensing up in key situations and waiting too long to get anything going in home games.

"You can't deny it, it's there," Wedge said of the home-road splits. "I mean, it's in black and white. But the thing about it is, fundamentally, these are the same guys.

"There's got to be a certain degree of grit about you in regards to where you play," he added. "And I've said it from day one when I got this job. I don't give a damn where we play, who we're playing, what the temperature is, how many people are in the stands. We show up with those intangibles each and every day. It doesn't necessarily guarantee performance. But it does guarantee that you'll have a chance to perform."

Note

• Kevin Millwood will start for the Mariners on Saturday after coming through some throwing workouts unscathed from a groin strain suffered last week. Millwood had just tossed six perfect innings when forced to leave because of the strained groin.

He and five other relief pitchers — Lucas Luetge, Shawn Kelley, Brandon League, Stephen Pryor and Tom Wilhelmsen — were honored on the field for the feat before the game.

The team has already sent a signed game ball and scoresheet to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Millwood was asked by the Hall for his game cap, but he'd already given it away. "That's going to my kid," he said.